MICHAEL J. FOX SAYS WISCONSIN HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS HEART: Gov. Jim Doyle is the Latest to Assert that the GOP Stands in the Way of Progess, Is Stifling Economic Growth, and that The Party Needs to Be Held Accountable

It used to be that candidates posed with babies, and George W. Bush still does, especially when using photo-ops to frame instantly for the public that stem cell research is really about “research on young humans.” To fight back, proponents of stem cell research are trading babies for white lab coats and instruments.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle is just one of several Democrats across the country using their support for stem cell research to draw contrasts to their Republican opponent, in Doyle’s case Congressman Mark Green. He’s also the latest candidate to benefit from the endorsement of Michael J. Fox in campaign commercials.

Doyle, pictured examining a beaker, is framing his support for stem cell research around the familiar social progress interpretation. As he argues on his “Stem Cell Champions for Doyle” campaign site, “we should never turn our back on the millions of families around the world affected by Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and juvenile diabetes.”

He is also framing the issue around Wisconsin’s continued economic development. For example, on his Web site, he lists the impact of Federal research dollars on Wisconsin, and the number of biotech companies moving to or starting up in the state.

Finally, Doyle plays the public accountability card, advocating that “Science should never take a back seat to politics….” while pointing out that Mark Green has stood with President Bush, and “has voted for or co-sponsored legislation to ban – and even criminalize – stem cell research eight times. Mark Green doesn’t support federal funding for stem cell research and has voted against this life-saving research twice. “